description and use

These batteries are the most commonly used worldwide in flashlights, toys, radios, compact disc players, and digital cameras. There are three variations: the zinc-carbon battery, the zinc chloride battery, and the alkaline battery. All provide an initial voltage of 1.55 to 1.7 volts, which declines with use to an end point of about 0.8 volt.

invention by Leclanché

French engineer who in about 1866 invented the battery that bears his name. In slightly modified form, the Leclanché battery, now called a dry cell, is produced in great quantities and is widely used in devices such as flashlights and portable radios.

zinc-manganese dioxide systems

The zinc-carbon battery, also called the
Leclanché cell, is a traditional general-purpose dry cell. Invented by the French engineer Georges Leclanché in 1866, it immediately became a commercial success in large sizes because of its readily available low-cost constituent materials. It remains the least expensive dry cell and is available nearly everywhere. The anode of this battery...